If there’s one thing YouTube has always been good for, it is as a platform for any ordinary person to express himself or herself. That is the very basis of its “broadcast yourself” roots.
If you have the time - and patience! - to browse thousands of music videos on YouTube, you will quickly find out that most of them are actually cover songs! Do you know what a cover song is?
A cover version (or simply "cover") is a song which is re-recorded by a singer or band, after another artist has released a recording of it. Sometimes the versions are similar, but sometimes they are very different. Many songs become more popular as cover versions than in their original recordings. (wikipedia.org)
Of course, there are also issues regarding copyright violations. If you are planning on taping a cover of your favourite song and uploading it on YouTube, perhaps you should read some information on this issue before... Otherwsie you could get into trouble! Here are the links to two articles that discuss this problem and give you some advice:
"Recording, Releasing, and Performing Cover Songs" by Cameron Mizell
"Music, Copyright, and YouTube" by Suzanne Lainson
A great deal of musicians make videos of themselves performing cover songs at home and upload them to sites like YouTube. This has become a great way to capture people’s attention with the covered songs as a gateway to their original music. Usually, videos of cover songs get more views than videos of original music.
A good example of this is the band Karmin, a duo of singers from Boston, USA. Have you ever listened to their songs? Give them a try, I'm sure you'll love them!
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Saturday, 7 May 2011
What the Finns need to know about Portugal [video]
The following video is a compilation of great accomplishments of the Portuguese people. It also reveals how Portugal has been generous towards other countries in the world.
Portugal has been greatly affected by the economic crisis and international financial markets are "punishing" our national economy.
Finland's support is necessary for the EU's bailout but a large number of Finns are against it.
This video was presented yesterday, in Estoril, at the end of the ESTORIL CONFERENCES - Global Challenges, Local Answers. Its aim is to make the Finnish people aware of the Portuguese history and generosity.
Portugal has been greatly affected by the economic crisis and international financial markets are "punishing" our national economy.
Finland's support is necessary for the EU's bailout but a large number of Finns are against it.
This video was presented yesterday, in Estoril, at the end of the ESTORIL CONFERENCES - Global Challenges, Local Answers. Its aim is to make the Finnish people aware of the Portuguese history and generosity.
What do you think of this?
Friday, 6 May 2011
Imagine waking up with a British Accent...
An American woman woke up with a British accent. Is this really possible?
Apparently, yes, it is possible. Have you ever heard of the Foreign Language Syndrome?
Watch the report about Karen Butler, who blames a sedative used during dental surgery, for changing her voice into a British accent. You can read the transcript below.
If only my students could wake up with a British accent! :-)
TRANSCRIPT:
You're watching multisource health news analysis from News
Would you ever believe that an American woman from Portland, Oregon who talks like this:
“Hi this is Karen, sorry I can’t come to the phone at the moment.” (Video: KATU)
Could leave a dentist appointment sounding like this?
“Oh where are you from, where did you get that accent? Well I got it from my dentist in Toledo!” (Video: WEWS)
Karen Butler suffers from an extremely rare disorder, Foreign Accent Syndrome. Most sufferers contract the syndrome after a stroke or brain trauma.
But Butler blames the anesthetic, Halcion, for her new voice after receiving oral surgery. Doctors are puzzled about her case because the syndrome has never been linked to a sedative. (Video: MSNBC)
KATU speaks with a stroke doctor about the logistics:
Reporter: “Why accent instead of just saying it’s a speech impediment or change? It seems interesting that it becomes an accent.”
Doctor: “As you’ve already pointed out it’s exceedingly rare. Now stroke very commonly affects language and most typically someone who has a stroke has trouble speaking... This is a very small part of the brain that affects language, that affects the articulation and intonation of speech.”
The condition is so rare only 100 cases have been reported worldwide since the 1900s. While American media celebrates Butler’s oddity, NBC reveals the cultural backlash in other countries with similar cases:
“Hello, my name is Kate...”
“When her voice changed, life changed. She lost her job and became depressed.”
“You lose your identity, because you don’t know who you are anymore. You don’t fit in anywhere.”
“Sarah Callwell knows just how she feels. Her accent changed earlier this year. Now some people think she sounds Chinese.”
“At first I felt very alone, I felt like I did not belong in this country anymore.”
The original accent can return to sufferers of the syndrome, but Butler tells the Oregonian she feels more outgoing thanks to the change:
“It wasn’t until this happened to me and everywhere you go people are so curious to know about who you are and what you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done... It has just really changed a great deal of my willingness.”
Transcript by Newsy.com (http://www.newsy.com/videos/american-woman-wakes-up-with-british-accent/)
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